2026 World Cup: Ronaldo's gesture towards Modric after Croatia's elimination

02.07.26 FT World Cup

Portugal

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Croatia

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Having secured a spot in the round of 16 at Croatia's expense, Cristiano Ronaldo made a point of greeting Luka Modric, his former Real Madrid teammate, at the end of the match.

Victorious in their World Cup round of 16 clash against Croatia (2-1), Portugal now advances to a highly anticipated quarter-final showdown with Spain. After scoring in this decisive encounter, Cristiano Ronaldo had the chance to reunite with Luka Modric, his old partner from their Real Madrid days, right there on the pitch.

Read also: 2026 World Cup: Ronaldo finally breaks his knockout stage curse!

"He's still a football legend"

By ending Croatia's World Cup hopes, the Portuguese striker made sure to pay tribute to Modric in a post-match interview with Sport TV:

"Yes, I said goodbye to him. He's still a football legend, and we're almost the same age. I have a lot of respect for Modric and everything he continues to achieve in football."

Mahdi Zakaria LAZRI |

Editor

Football web writer creating digital sports content with a focus on news, analysis and stories that reflect passion, accuracy and objectivity.

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